Website malware also known as malicious software, is code that is intentionally designed to harm a website, its users, or the system. The malcious code can take many forms, such as viruses, trojans, worms, spyware, adware, and more.
Website malware can be injected to a website through various means, such as vulnerabilities in the website code, outdated software, or by exploiting the website’s hosting environment.
Once injected to the website, malware can perform various malicious actions, such as stealing sensitive information, modifying or deleting website content, redirecting visitors to another spammy website, or sending spam emails from your server.
Website malware can damage the website’s reputation, losing valuable data and customer trust, or causing financial losses.
How to remove Malware from WordPress website?
If your WordPress website has been infected with malware, you can follow these steps to remove it:
Step 1: Back up your website:
Before making any changes, backup all your website files and database. If you have a backup, you can restore them if something goes wrong. You can backup the site manually by cPanel or FTP or with the help of the backup plugins available in the WordPress Repository.
Step 2: Identify the malware:
You can use a website security scanner to find out the type and location of malware on your website. You can also hire a malware removal expert.
Step 3: Remove the malware:
Depending on the type of malware, you can remove it manually or using a plugin. Many malware removal plugins are available to detect and fix the malware, such as Wordfence, Antimalware plugin, etc. But all plugins have some limitations, so It is better to hire a dedicated malware removal expert.
Step 4: Remove any backdoors:
Malware often leaves behind backdoors for future access. You need to remove these backdoors.
Step 5: Update WordPress and plugins:
Update your WordPress installation and all installed plugins and themes to their latest versions.
Step 6: Hardening your website:
Make your website more secure by changing passwords, disabling file editing, and using security plugins such as wordfence. You can use firewall and server security plugins to protect the site.
Step 7: Monitor your website:
Regularly monitor your website for any signs of future attacks. Regular scans and updating sites.
Note: If you’re not comfortable with these steps or if the malware is complex, it’s best to consult with a professional website security service for assistance. We also provide a professional WordPress Malware removal service.
Why wordpress site got infected?
There are several reasons why a WordPress site may become infected with malware:
- Outdated software: WordPress is a widely used platform, so it is often targeted by hackers, because the vulnerabilities in its outdated versions can be easily exploited. Keeping your WordPress installation and all plugins up-to-date is necessary to prevent malware issues.
- Weak passwords: If you or your users use weak passwords on the website, your website can be easily hacked. It’s important to use strong and unique passwords for all user accounts to keep site secure.
- Unsecured hosting: If your website is hosted on an unsecured server, it can be vulnerable to attacks. So Always Choose a reputable hosting provider that offers secure and reliable hosting services.
- Vulnerable themes and plugins: Using outdated, pirated or nulled plugins and themes may cause the site to get infected. So Make sure to use authenticated and secure plugins and themes, and always keep them up-to-date.
- Malicious downloads: Downloading plugins or themes from untrusted sources or nulled software provider sites can also lead to malware infections. Be careful when downloading plugins, themes, or other files, and only download them from reputable sources.
- Phishing attacks: Sometimes you get emails or messages that lead you to the fake login page and ask you to provide login credentials that may be phishing attacks. In phishing attacks, the attackers trick you into entering your login credentials into a fake login page to gain access to your website. So do not click on emails or links that ask for your login information.
- Social engineering: Attackers may try to influence, manipulate or trick you to installing malware on your website. For example, they may pretend to be a security expert and ask you to install a plugin to fix a security issue.
By following best practices for WordPress website security, you can help protect your WordPress site from malware attacks.
